"I'm bowing out still on top. I'ma make y'all want me when I retire. I'ma make y'all be like, 'Nooo!' I ain't leaving out this bitch when y'all be like, 'Yeah, it's about time, dawg.' Carter IV might be my last one. I'ma make y'all be like, 'Fuck!' Yeah, nigga, I'm gone."

He tells XXL that the reason he's considering bowing out is to keep up with his fatherly responsibilities:

"Honestly, this is the real truth. I honestly think it's unfair to my kids. I'm super dedicated into what I do. Like, it's no questions—- it's hands down, I do this. I live this. I don't have a day out my week that I do something else. I do this every day of my life, and I'm not about to stop, 'cause that's the only way you can succeed in this business, is to do it the way I do it. I want to succeed the way I want to succeed. You can succeed. You can put out a hit… But to do it the way I want to do it, to be comfortable to do what the fuck I want to do, you've got to work like no other. Like I said, it's unfair to my kids. So about 30, 31, 32, I gotta get ready."

Now, this is a good time to remind everyone what happened to Jay-Z's retirement claims (specifically, this, and unfortunately, thesethings too). Still, who knows! Maybe he'll retire, if Tha Carter IV ever comes out. In the meantime, watch the video for the Rick Ross-featuring "John (If I Die Today)" below.